from:larrybsp@aol.com (Larry Stark)
For those of you Solo II autocrossers planning on running
at Thunderhill a few words of caution. I'm particularly talking to those of
you who have never run on the track before. ITS NOT LIKE SOLO II !!!
When I transitioned from Solo II to track events it was a whole new ball
game. You have to drive entirely differently. You can't late brake and
charge corners like you do in Solo II. Get your braking done before the
corner entry and be on the throttle through the corner. You can use a
higher gear through the corners than you think you can. Your going
faster. Resist the Solo II instinct to down shift. Thunderhill is a very
long and fast track. It is also a technical track, read tricky off camber
corners, blind corners and very fast straights leading into slow corners.
It also takes awhile to remember the course. Its real easy for first timers
to go off course at turns three and twelve. The 180 degree turn leading
onto the main straight is really two turns and is very fast. The straight
leading into the 180 is very fast, 120mph+, so use caution. Turn one
looks easy and fast , fourth gear, which it is but too many
inexperienced drivers brake too late and wind up half way up the hill
or on their roof. I could go on but just remember to use caution first time
out. Your going to be driving twice as fast as the fastest Solo II course,
except maybe for AAS.
Keep the shiny side up.
Larry
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